1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shoes that contain some device for orienting the feet in a particular manner for training purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that train a person to properly orient their feet when playing golf.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
There are many devices in the prior art record that are used to help a person train to play a particular sport. Many such prior art devices are used to help train a person to properly orient both their body and their feet for a stance that is appropriate for the sport being played.
Few sports have more training aids than does golf. In the game of golf, golfers are always trying to improve their swing. When swinging a golf club, many factors contribute to the quality of the swing. For instance, the way a person stands, the position of a person""s arms, the way the club is grasped and the dynamics of the swinging motion all contribute to the quality of the swing. As a person practices golf, they usually concentrate upon one aspect of the swing at a time. Different training aids exist to help people perfect specific aspects of their swing.
One aspect of a golf swing that must be perfected is the proper foot stance and how to maintain that proper foot stance throughout the swing. During a golf swing, a golfer transfers his/her weight from one foot to the other. During the swing, a golfer is supposed to maintain his/her weight on the inside portion of the right leg as a person transfers their weight from the right leg to the left leg. Over the years there have been many different training aids that have been used to help a person keep their weight on the inside portion of their right foot during a swing. When being instructed by a professional, right handed golf students are often required to step on a golf ball or another small object with the outer portion of their right foot. This elevates the outer portion of the foot and forces the golfer to swing with their weight on the inside portion of their right foot. After enough practice, a golfer learns the feel of their right foot during the swing and no longer requires the elevating device.
Placing your weight on only one side of your foot is an unnatural activity. As such, golfers often forget and stand flat footed as they swing. The result is a less than ideal swing. When out on a course, playing golf, it is not practical to place an object under your foot each time you swing the golf club. Due to changes in surface contours and surface type, a person often changes the position of his/her feet several times prior to swinging. Using prior art techniques, a person would have to relocate an object under their shoe each time they moved their feet. As a result, the use of foreign objects under the golfer""s shoe is mostly used when practicing and is seldom used during actual play.
A need therefore exists for a device that can be used by a golfer when playing golf on the course that helps a golfer keep their weight on the inside of their foot as they golf. This need is met by the present invention as it is described and claimed below.
The present invention is a shoe device that is useful in obtaining the proper stance when playing the game of golf. The shoe device has a sole, wherein the sole has a left side and a right side. The shoe also includes an upper section that is coupled to the sole. The upper section of the shoe is sized to receive a foot. The upper section has a right side area that is disposed above the right side of the sole and a left side area that is disposed above the left side of the sole.
A mechanism is disposed within the shoe for selectively slanting the one side of the shoe so that the one side of the foot is elevated to a height above the opposite side of the foot within the shoe. By slanting the shoe from right to left, a right handed person is reminded to keep his/her weight on the left side of their right foot when swinging a golf club, thereby making for a better swing. For a left handed person, the left shoe is slanted from left to right.